Me The Ocean And My Board

3. Beach Boy

Monday. The worst day of the week. Everybody is tired and not in the mood to talk. Perfect for me though. We leave for school at 7:30. I've been ready, sitting in my room, for thirty minutes. At the foster house I'd wake up at 6:30 am everyday. And today is no difference. I refuse to leave my room because the person across from it hates me. Every inch of me he does. And if I'm being honest, I don't mind.

Someone knocks on my door and I immediately go into defense mode; my knees tucked up to my chest, arms covering my face. Then I hear Jack's voice and I relax. "Hey Liv, you up?"

"Yea, you can come in." My voice comes out dead, life without emotion.

The door opens and Jack pads towards my chair and takes a seat. "You look-" He stops himself before saying anything.

"What?" I stand up going to my mirror.

"Dead." His voice a rough whisper. He's right though. My eyes are red and puffy from crying and the bags under my eyes make it look like I haven't slept in weeks. And to top it all off, my rushes plaits look like i fell asleep in them.. I rush over to my nightstand and grab my makeup bag. Frantically covering the bags making me look somewhat alive, then I take my braids out and toss my hair into a messy bun, pulling strands down to frame my face.

"There. No longer dead. Wish that's how it worked in real life." I joke. Humor has became my coping mechanism. Obviously everyone else feels bad but that doesn't help. They're supposed to laugh and make me feel better, but nobody knows this. And I don't tell anyone, I leave it for them to find out themselves.

"If you don't wanna go today, you don't have to." I shake my head violently.

"No I do. Just tired that's all."

His eyes narrow scanning my body. "It's ninety degrees outside, and you're wearing a sweatshirt." I freeze up, I don't have a comeback for this one, but luckily I'm saved by Michael and Eden yelling for us.

"We gotta go." My voice is breathy as I'm attempting to slow down my actual breathing. Jack presses his lips together tightly before walking out, me following him. Once we get down, Michael is standing holding his phone in our face.

"I said we leave at 7:30. Did either of you listen." He spits furiously.

"Matter of fact I've been ready the past half hour thank you." I retort and he rolls his eyes.

"How about we leave before we need to give Michael a muzzle." Eden's voice cracking at 'need'. Jack agrees and their both out the door, leaving Michael and I in staring at eachother.

After a few seconds he speaks, "I hate you, you know that?" I scowl slightly raising an eyebrow.

"If you hate me so much then what was that yesterday?"

"Eden and Jack told me to do that." His voice now has a bite to it.

"Oh so the oldest listens to the babies. Noted."

"You're no sister to me Olivia. Don't think you ever will be either."

"Well I guess that's a shame, because I don't think you as a brother." My words flow off my tongue. Sending obvious pain into Michael's face.

"Shut up."

"No. If you can say it I can too."

"No shut up." He growls, trying to scare me.

"If you're waiting for a reaction you're not going to get it." My voice dead and solid.

"I don't want one, nor do I care." He spins on his heel and walks out the door. I follow after him a few seconds later, getting into the back seat of the jeep next to Eden.